Elevator-controlling apparatus



May 12, 1925.

H. B. GOLDMAN ELEVATOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1923 May 12, 1925.

H. B. GOLZDMAN ELEVATOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 12,

H. B. GOLDMAN ELEVATOR CONTROLLING APPA RATUS Filed May V 26, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 311 um lt'OL war/m I). (gold/ma W May 12, 1925.

H. B. GOLDMAN ELEVATOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed May 26, 192 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY B. GOLDMAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANTA, ASSIGNOR OIE ONE-HALF T MARSHALLBROTHERS CO., OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATOR-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 26,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. G LDMAN,

a citizen of the United States, reslding at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State. of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator-Controlling Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates broadly to elevator systems, and more particularly to an apparatus for bringing the elevator to a position of rest with its platform level with a floor adjacent the elevator hatchway'.

One of the objects of my invention isto provide an apparatus which may be secured to an elevator and electrically connected with the elevator controller circuits for insuring the stopping of the elevator level with a floor.

A further object f the invention is to provide a construction of leveling device for elevators whereby mechanical switches are automatically controlled by movement of the elevator in the hatchway within a leveling zone in proximity to a floor level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a leveling device for elevators .Which is always automatically operative when the elevator is retarding its acceleration and tending to come to rest at a selected floor level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a leveling device which may he rendered mechanically inoperative when the elevator is traveling up or down the hatch,- way at speeds which would not be selected when the operator of the elevator: desired to bring the car to a position of rest.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a construction of leveling device with independent automatic leveling switches arranged to close sets of contacts to electrically control the elevator controller circuits independent of the operator of the car within '45 periods when the car is in a leveling zone in proximity of a floor level.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of switch contacts which may be substantially insulated from each other to preclude any confusion of the up and down circuits which are controlled by the leveling device.

1923. Serial No. 641,726.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from the following specification by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of an elevator operating in a hatchway adjacent a series of floor levels; Fig. 2 is a front view of the elevator of Fig. 1 showing the relation of the leveling device of my present invention with adjustable cams on the side of the elevator hatchway; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View showing the up and down adjustable cams which are positioned in proximity of each floor level throughout the vertical height of the hatchway; F ig. 4 is a sectional view taken through my leveling device showing the arrangen'ient of the operating mechanism with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the operation of the.

up leveling switch; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view taken on line of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a plan view of my leveling device with the casing broken away to show the interior arrangement of parts; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of my leveling device showing the arrangement of the up and down rollers and the up and down adjustable cams on the side of the hatchway; Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of the down leveling switch; Fig. 9 is a crossse tional view taken through line 9+9 of Fig. 4; Fig. 10 is a'sectional view of my leveling device taken on line 1010 of Fig. 4; and Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are detailed front and side elevations and cross sectional views of the switch contacts employed in the up and down leveling switches of my leveling apparatus.

My invention will be more clearly understood by reference to my copendiug application, Serial Number 611,727, filed May 26th, 1923, in which I have described the electrical circuits towhich my leveling a'pparatus is connected.

Referring to Fig. 1 of t-he drawings, the elevator 1 is illustrated operating up and down the elevator hatchway 2 by means of cable or other mechanism 3 passing floor levels A, 13, C, and D. The elevator controllerby which the operator controls the movement of the car is indicated at 1. Angle iron 5 is positioned along the vertical height of the hatchwav and secured thereto by bolt 5 (Fig. 3). This angle iron carries cams6 and 7 adjacent each floor level ad.- justable within limits by means of screws ('3 and 7 F operating in slots 6 and 7 h in cams 6 and 7 respectively. My leveling apparatus iscontained in cabinet 8 suitably secured to the elevator l by angular bracket 12.

In Fig. 4 a sectional view has been taken through the switch box containing the up switch along line 44 of Fig. 9. The cabinet 14 containing the leveling apparatus is shown in section. A pair of switch boxes 15 and 16 containing the up switch and the down switch respectively are provided. See Fig. 10. These boxes are j ournaled. upon an axis 17 solidly supported in bracket 12. Angle member 18 forms the journal for switch box 15 about axis 17, and angle member 19 forms the journal for switch box 16' about the axis 17 The boxes 15 and 16 are spaced apart by sleeve 20 which also forms a support 21 for axis 17.. A weight 22 issecured to the outer corners of the boxes 15 and 16 so that normally the switch boxes assume the full line position represented in Fig. 4 but which may be moved to the dotted line position 23 by mechanism to be hereinafter described.

The up roller 10 is journaled upon an arm 24 secured to a crank 25 journaled at 26 in switch box 15 with an extended crank arm 27. The crank arm 27 carries a contact 28 comprising a cylindrical sleeve well insulated from the crank arm. .VVhen the up roller 10 strikes the up cam 7, this contact 28 is moved between the contracts 29 and 30. to the dotted line position 31. This movement is resisted by spring 32 which normally holds the contact 28 away from the leaf spring contacts 29 and 30. The details of these up and down switches are shown more clearly in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 wherein the leaf springs 29 and 30 are maintained under tension of springs 31 and 32 respectively secured in supports 33 and 34 respectively by means of screws 35 and 36. These screws form terminal posts 37 and 38 from which conductors 39 and 40' lead to the cle vator controller circuits. The bracket members 33 and 34 are insulated from each other by insulation member 41 which is here shown secured to the wall of the switch box 15. It is, of course, understood that in the down switch, the member 41 is secured to the wall of switch box 16. The details of the switches are the same for both the up and down switches with theexception that the down switch shown more clearly in Fig. 8 is oppositely positioned with reference to the up switch.

The down roller 9 which is arranged to contact with the down cam 6 is journaled on member 42 carried in crank arm 43 which is in turn journaled at 44 and carries a crank arm 45 within switch box 16. A contact 46 is positioned at the end of the crank arm 45 adapted to be forced between the leaf spring contacts 47 and 48 in dotted line position 49 against the action of spring 50.

The leads from the switch terminals are 7 ing apparatus is operating at high speed, it

is not desired to have the rollers 9'and 10* contact with the cams 6- and 7. To avoid this I provide a leveling magnet sup ported upon a panel 54 and arranged to attract an armature 55 pivoted at 56. armature carries an extended arm 57 having a contact 58. When the leveling magnet 53 is energized the contact 58 enters between leaf springs 59 and 60 in dotted line position 61, closing an electric circuit controlling the elevator at a speed-greater than slow speed. When the magnet 53 is de-energized this circuit is open assuring a slow speed interlock, at which time it is necessary that the leveling switches are out in full line position ready 'to strike the up and down cams. The connections from leaf springs 59 and 60 are made with terminals on the insulated terminal block 52 from which exterior connections may be readily made. The armature 55 is connected through a link 62 with switch boxes 15 and 16. The connection with the upper portions of boxes 15 and 1G is made by means of angular journal brackets 64 and 65 securedrespectively to boxes 15 and 16 through which axis member 66 is passed which also passes throughjournal 67'on the end of link 62.

In the operation of my leveling apparatus the cams 6 and 7 are adjusted at each floor level so that when the ear platformis exactly level with the landing, the rollers 9 and 10 are between the cam faces, thereby allowing both the switch contacts 28 and 46 to be outside of the leaf springs 29 and 30 on the up switch, and leaf springs 47 and 48 on the down switch, as represented in full lines. hen the elevator controller 4 has been brought to OK position as the car nears a landing, theelevator becomes under the control of these leveling switches and will not come to rest until the rollers 9 and 10 seek a position between the cams 6 and 7. Should the car move up or down from the landing, due to a load being placed on the elevator or from any other position, either roller 9 01-10 will strike either cam 6 or 7. If the car moves down roller 19 rests on cam 7, thereby closing contacts 29 and 30 bringing the car up until it is'again level, and the rollers 9 and 10 are between .the cams 6 and 7. r

The

When the elevator controller 4 is moved to low speed position, when it is desired to bring the elevator to rest, the magnet 53 is de-energized and the rollers 9 and 10 drop out upon the faces of the up and down cams which are sufliciently extended along the ele. vator hatchway. When the elevator con-' troller is brought to off 7 position the car will be brought to rest when the rollers 9 and 10 seek a position between the cams.

IVhile I have described my invention in a certain particular embodiment, it. is to be understood that I intend no limitations containing other than those imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1. A levelingidevice for elevators comprising in combination an elevator hatch-- prising in combination an elevator hatchway, a pair of vertically spaced adjustable cams adjacent each floor along said hatchway, a pair of independent switches carried. by said elevator, nieans' connected to each switch adapted to contact with a separate cam" of each of said pairs of cams for independently closing said switches, and means for withdrawing said contacting means out of alignment with said cams. I

3. In a leveling device for elevators, the combinationof an elevator hatchway, pairs of cams on said hatchway, a pair of inde-, pendently pivoted switches carried by said elevator, each separately cooperating with each of said cams, independent switch boxes contact members for said switches, a common journal for each of said boxes, an armature, a connecting rod between said armatureand said switch boxes, and an electromagnet arranged to attract said armature whereby said switches are withdrawn out of alignment of said cams and an electrical circuit simultaneously closed. i 1 i 4. A leveling device for elevators comprising in combination a, pivoted mountin a plurality of switches carried by said pivoted mounting, separate switch arms mounted to turn in said mounting and means secured to said switch arms whereby said switches may be separately closed, and electrical means for simultaneously moving said switch arms to inoperative position.

5. A leveling device forelevators comprising in combination an elevator hatchway, a pair of adj ustable cams adjacent each floor along said hatchway, a pair of independent switches carried by said elevator, means adapted to contact with said cams for closing said switches, a weight normally tending to hold said means in alignment with said cams, and additional means for withdrawing said first mentioned means out of alignment with said cams.

6. In a leveling device for elevators, the combination of an elevator hatchway, pairs of cams on said hatchway, a pair of independently pivoted-switches carried by said elevator, each separately cooperating with each of said cams, independent switch boxes containing contact members for said switches, a common journal for each of said boxes, a weight normally tending to hold said switches in alignment with said cams, an armature, a connecting rod between vsaid armature and said switch boxes, and an electromagnet arranged to attract said armature whereby said switches are withdrawn out of alignment of'said cams and an electrical circuit simultaneously closed.

7. A leveling device for elevators comprising in combination an elevator hatchway, pairs on adjustable cams mounted on said hatchway, a pair of pivotally mounted switch boxes, levers independently pivoted adjacent each of said switch boxes, a roller carried on one end of each lever, and an electrical contact carried on the other end of each lever, a pair of independent contacts in each of said switch boxes whereby the electrical contact on said switch arms completes a circuit across'said switch contacts when said rollers abut against said cams.

S. In a leveling device for elevators, a hatchway, an elevator operative therein, a pivoted mounting carried by said elevator, a plurality of switches carried by said pivoted mounting, separate switch arms mounted to turn in said mounting, a plurality of cams on said hatchway, and means secured to said switch arms whereby said switches may be separately closed by abutment with said cams, means for limiting the movement of said mounting in the direction of said cams, and means for nioving'said mounting in a direction away from said cams.

9. In a leveling device for elevators, the combination with an elevator hatehway of comprising pairs of independent contacts,

adjustable cams adjacent each floor level said switches and limiting their movement along said hatchway, leveling apparatus in the direction of said cams, and means for withdrawing said switches out of alignindepcndent spring pressed switches ar- Eleni? 0f S d CZ S- ranged to close said contacts against the ac- In testlmony whereof I afliX my Sig-112v tion of said springs by abutment with said cams, a single means for both supporting HARRY B. GOLDMAN. 

